Alok Sharma, the Member of Parliament for Reading West, has today welcomed local charity ABC to Read’s competition to encourage local youngsters to engage with action to tackle climate change while inspiring and challenging their inner literary critic.

The competition, open to all children and primary schools across Berkshire, invites children to read a book about climate change and create a review to tell others why they should read it too.

ABC to Read volunteers invest an average of 12,000 hours each year into improving not only children’s reading ability but their enjoyment of the pastime as well as their general attitudes and confidence. This competition is aimed to boost both.

If children have not already read any books on the topic, they are being encouraged to do so with many wonderful books about forests, human activity and more being recommended. ‘Be a Book Critic for a Day’ will open during Storytelling Week and will close at the end of World Book Day in March.

Prizes on offer include a whole class video chat and/or school visit with local poet AF Harrold, donations to winners’ school libraries as well as individual book vouchers, kindly donated by Fourbears Bookshop in Caversham and climate change themed books donated by ABC to Read.

With increasing numbers of children who need catch-up support as schools have re-opened, ABC to Read are actively looking for up to 40 new volunteers to join them in helping local children develop their literacy and confidence.

Schools that are in need of additional reading support are also being actively encouraged to sign up for ABC to Read mentors. For more information about training days or joining the scheme as a school or volunteer mentor, contact info@abctoread.og.uk

Alok, who serves in the UK Cabinet as President of COP26, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, said:

“COP26 in November in Glasgow resulted in the historic Glasgow Climate Pact agreed by almost 200 countries which set out their commitments to tackle climate change. This is a global challenge and we all have a part to play. I think it is vitally important that we encourage young people to understand what is arguably the biggest challenge facing our planet. ABC to Read’s climate change competition is a brilliant way to do this whilst encouraging young people to pick up a book and think in detail about this issue!”

Marcia Rowlinson, ABC to Read CEO, said:

“Not only will this encourage more of our local children to read, it will also help them learn about critical issues that are relevant to them. Encouraging and offering opportunities to critique and discuss books lays the foundations for a generation who understand that reading, being informed and engaging passionately in global issues can create genuine and lasting change – and that they can be a part of it.”

For T&Cs and entry requirements, please visit the website: www.abctoread.org.uk